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[195]
But the king having been fond of her, did not well bear a separation,
and yet by the law he could not admit of a reconciliation; so he was under
trouble, as not having it in his power to do what he desired to do. But
when his friends saw him so uneasy, they advised him to cast the memory
of his wife, and his love for her, out of his mind, but to send abroad
over all the habitable earth, and to search out for comely virgins, and
to take her whom he should best like for his wife, because his passion
for his former wife would be quenched by the introduction of another, and
the kindness he had for Vashti would be withdrawn from her, and be placed
on her that was with him. Accordingly, he was persuaded to follow this
advice, and gave order to certain persons to choose out of the virgins
that were in his kingdom those that were esteemed the most comely. So when
a great number of these virgins were gathered together, there was found
a damsel in Babylon, whose parents were both dead, and she was brought
up with her uncle Mordecai, for that was her uncle's name. This uncle was
of the tribe of Benjamin, and was one of the principal persons among the
Jews. Now it proved that this damsel, whose name was Esther, was the most
beautiful of all the rest, and that the grace of her countenance drew the
eyes of the spectators principally upon her. So she was committed to one
of the eunuchs to take the care of her; and she was very exactly provided
with sweet odors, in great plenty, and with costly ointments, such as her
body required to be anointed withal; and this was used for six months by
the virgins, who were in number four hundred. And when the eunuch thought
the virgins had been sufficiently purified, in the fore-mentioned time,
and were now fit to go to the king's bed, he sent one to be with the king
ever day. So when he had accompanied with her, he sent her back to the
eunuch; and when Esther had come to him, he was pleased with her, and fell
in love with the damsel, and married her, and made her his lawful wife,
and kept a wedding feast for her on the twelfth month of the seventh year
of his reign, which was called Adar. He also sent angari, as they are called,
or messengers, unto every nation, and gave orders that they should keep
a feast for his marriage, while he himself treated the Persians and the
Medes, and the principal men of the nations, for a whole month, on account
of this his marriage. Accordingly, Esther came to his royal palace, and
he set a diadem on her head. And thus was Esther married, without making
known to the king what nation she was derived from. Her uncle also removed
from Babylon to Shushan, and dwelt there, being every day about the palace,
and inquiring how the damsel did, for he loved her as though she had been
his own daughter.

Flavius Josephus. The Works of Flavius Josephus. Translated by. William Whiston, A.M. Auburn and Buffalo. John E. Beardsley. 1895.

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